Spurs expect Neal back this week

MINNEAPOLIS — Gary Neal will be on the court at the Spurs’ practice facility for a full session with his team.

Temporarily, it won’t be with the Spurs.

Neal underwent an appendectomy Dec. 12 and has been doing conditioning work for more than a week. But the Spurs have been unable to practice with their busy schedule, which hasn’t allowed Neal to get the contact work the team’s medical staff wants him to have before suiting up for a game.

The Spurs’ Development League team, the Austin Toros, were a perfect solution for a rehab stint.

The second-year shooting guard, who was in Austin on Tuesday for practice, is likely to be back on the court with the Spurs by week’s end.

Neal’s return takes on added importance for the Spurs after the injury suffered Monday by shooting guard Manu Ginobili, who fractured the fifth metacarpal on his left hand.

“He’s going to practice with them for a few days, just to get to banging against someone,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of Neal.

The Toros will be at the Spurs’ practice facility this afternoon, a first since the club bought the D-League franchise in 2009.

The Spurs have games at the AT&T Center on Wednesday and Thursday against the Warriors and Mavericks, respectively.

Neal averaged 9.8 points and 2.5 rebounds in 21.1 minutes in 80 games last season. He led all rookies in 3-point field-goal percentage with a .419 mark and earned a spot on the All-Rookie First Team.

Howard fined for foul on Anderson: Utah Jazz forward Josh Howard was fined $25,000 after his flagrant foul on Spurs guard James Anderson was upgraded from a Flagrant Foul One to a Flagrant Foul Two, the NBA announced.

Howard committed the hard foul on Anderson in the third quarter of the Spurs’ victory over Utah on Saturday. The swingman considered signing with the Spurs in the offseason.

NO SOMBREROS, POR FAVOR: Timberwolves rookie Ricky Rubio had to remind Minnesotans of his nationality after a group of fans began showing up for games wearing sombreros.

Rubio had to remind them sombreros typically are associated with Mexico, not Spain, the guard’s native country.

ANALYZE THIS: With former Spurs star and current TV analyst Sean Elliott maintaining his aversion to cold-weather cities and skipping the game, assistant general manager Danny Ferry took over microphone duties on Fox Sports Net Southwest’s telecast.